Information Security & Privacy Basics

Welcome to Baylor University!Information Technology Services (ITS) recognizes the importance of a robust and secure technology environment in fulfilling the university's academic mission. We want to work with you to achieve that mission. The information included here should help you understand Baylor's IT security environment and expectations. You can also call the ITS Help Desk at (254) 710-HELP (4357) 8:00am–5:00pm Monday through Friday for assistance.

Computer Workstations

Faculty members are assigned an individual workstation, which may store or provide access to important university information resources. Extreme care should be exercised in the use and storage of your computer and related items.

Please set your screen saver to activate after 10 minutes of inactivity and require a password for reactivation of the system. Call the Help Desk for instructions on this.

Lock your unattended vehicle if laptops, CDs, flash drives, keys, etc. are inside, and please be sure these items are not visible.

Immediately report any loss of university property or personal property with university access (e.g. ID card) to Baylor DPS and your department chair.

For all laptops assigned to individuals, ITS requires PGP whole disk encryption. Contact the Help Desk if your laptop is missing this critical feature.

All Baylor Windows and Macintosh systems are licensed for Symantec AntiVirus and should have it installed and activated. Contact the Help Desk if you have questions about your copy.

Passwords

Good passwords are critical to prevention of unauthorized access to hardware and software systems. Where possible, Baylor enforces a set of minimum password standards and requires that passwords be reset within predefined time periods. These standards, along with additional university password information, can be found by choosing the "Password Policies" link on this site. Remember, you are responsible for all activity on any account provided to you. Sharing passwords is prohibited. ITS will never ask for your passwords. Should you be asked for your password in person, by phone, or by email please contact the Help Desk immediately.

Training

ITS offers an online computer-based training lesson on IT security which takes around 30 minutes to complete and highlights important campus security issues. This lesson can be found on the HR Center for Learning & Leadership.

Data Security

Although Baylor no longer uses social security numbers as the University ID number, old grade rolls, transcripts, class rosters, etc. still exist with SSNs from before April, 2004. These are often stored in electronic format on faculty workstations. Additionally, any file including grades or advisement information is subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Any computer with this type of digital data should have PGP encryption installed.

Network Security

ITS attempts to implement networks that are as secure as possible. Due to limitations of current wireless technology, the wired network is more secure than the wireless network. As a result please, take caution to not send confidential or personally identifiable information when connected to AirBear and plan on using your wired network connection when in your office.

ITS Staff

When ITS staff come to work on your office computer, you should always verify their identity. This can be done by asking for their ITS picture badge. Information about the ITS badges can be found here (this link requires authentication). Verify the picture. If the staff member is a student worker, verify that the current academic term is listed on the card. Should an individual be unable to produce the identification, contact the Help Desk immediately regardless of their reason.